by JOHN VINCENT B. TORIBIO

Health, above all.

The Mariano Marcos State University’s (MMSU) medical services unit intensifies its efforts to serve the skeleton workforce and stranded students during the imposed lockdown in the province.

The university’s Health and Wellness unit, headed by Dr. Leonisa A. Silvestre, said “it is in crises like the COVID-19 pandemic that medical services are most needed, thus, the unit aims to ensure that the members of the MMSU community are well and safe.”

Silvestre emphasized that the university spent Php 90,000 to purchase twelve units of thermal scanners last April 1. These are being used by the security guards at the entry points of the University campuses to make sure that no threat is posed among the employees who continue to report for work during the crisis.

Additionally, the Unit has provided multivitamins to the university frontliners. 136 personnel of the key administrative offices, the National Bioenergy Research and Innovation Center (NBERIC) and the Food Services unit received the said tablets during the first week of April.

Another batch of ascorbic acid tabs was also distributed among 303 skeleton staff and stranded students last April 16.

“Our beloved colleagues and students are encouraged to boost their immune system so as to help combat the coronavirus, and it is our duty to help them,” Silvestre stressed.

More than Php 40,000 has been spent for the provision of multivitamins and other medicines.

She further said that the University Infirmary staff members are on on-call duty and that they have a close coordination with the frontliners and stranded students, that they instantly respond when medical assistance is needed. 

The Infirmary personnel also conduct regular check of vital signs (temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate) among the MMSU frontliners.

Silvestre reminds all faculty, staff and students of the university, both those who serve as frontliners and those who stay in their homes, to “have a healthy diet, observe good personal hygiene and do regular exercise as these three are simple yet very effective ways to be coronavirus-free.”     

These efforts of the said unit are a part of the MMSU Saranay against COVID-19, a multi-faceted program that addresses the emerging needs of both the MMSU and extended communities. Face masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) were also provided to the MMSU skeleton staff. (StratCom)